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Airbus Group Completes Successful Flight Tests of Laser- Based Airspeed Sensor System Stage Now Set for Certification Aboard Rotary Wing Aircraft

Airbus Group has completed successful flight tests on a fiber-optic, eye-safe, laser-based sensor system that delivers accurate airspeed information in the three axis at low and even negative airspeed. This range of capability is not possible with pitot tubes, the longstanding industry standard for airspeed sensors.

The sensor system, developed by Manassas, Virginia-based Optical Air Data Systems (OADS) was installed aboard an Airbus Dauphin 6542 helicopter for the battery of flight tests that were conducted in Marignane, France by Airbus Group's Airbus Helicopters division. With the successful completion of these tests, the stage is now set for Airbus Group to work with OADS for certification, with the ultimate goal being commercialization aboard rotary wing aircraft.

Helicopter hover, landing, and take-offs in dust, fog, rain, snow, and high winds is an integral part of military and commercial flight operations. OADS has developed and flight-tested an LDV-based optical sensor suite capable of measuring height above ground, groundspeed, and air data at a FCS capable data rate from a helicopter platform under all environmental and weather conditions. This paper presents capabilities and flight-test results of this high-resolution standalone Precision Flight Instrumentation System.

AXYS installs Vindicator® III LiDAR at entrance of Chesapeake Bay in US

Telemetry systems developer AXYS Technologies has deployed the Vindicator III, a simultaneous pulse LiDAR enclosed in the WindSentinel Land Station, on a man-made island at the entrance of Chesapeake Bay, to advance offshore wind energy in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Vindicator III LiDAR is being installed for a period of up to a year, as part of a project to improve wind forecasting models of WeatherFlow. It has already been deployed for a field verification period next to a tall met mast at Stumpy Point, North Carolina.

US Navy to Deploy WindSentinel Floating LiDAR

The teams of Sound & Sea Technology Inc, AXYS Technologies Inc, and DNV GL Inc have announced the award of a contract from the U.S. Navy for the validation of an offshore floating LiDAR wind resource assessment system.

AXYS Technologies Inc. (AXYS) will be supplying their WindSentinel™ floating LiDAR system. The WindSentinel uses the Vindicator® III, the world’s only simultaneous pulsed LiDAR with integral motion compensation, to accurately measure offshore wind speed and direction up to the blade-tip heights of 200m. This project will look to take advantage of recent new developments in the sensor technology derived from AXYS’ relationship with OADS, developers of the simultaneous pulse technology.

MANASSAS, VA -- 12/23/2014 -- Optical Air Data Systems (OADS, LLC) announced today that they will be launching the Vindicator® Resource Assessment Laser Wind Sensor for all onshore and offshore wind resource assessment applications in early 2015. This product will replace the retiring Vindicator® III LWS and will be available to all buoy manufactures! The new product will maintain the high reliability, high data availability, motion compensated data of the Vindicator product family, while incorporating new features from our aerospace systems.